Folding car-step.



No. 689, 29] Patente d Dec. 24;- mm.

M, WEBER.

FOLDING CAR STEP.

(Application filed May 10, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Dec. 24. l90l.

M. WEBER.

FOLDING GAB STEP. (Application filed May 10, 1901.;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

'UNITED PATE T OFFICE.

tioairz WEBER, OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI, ASSIGN OR TO ST. LOUIS OAR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

FOLDING CAR-STEP.

SPECIFIC'AIIOIV forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,629, dated December Application filed May 10, 1901. Serial No- 59,618. (Ila modelJ To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORITZ WEBER, a cit-i- "zen of-the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Car-Steps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of steps used upon cars having vestibules intermediate of the ends thereof, the object of the invention being to provide a construction whe 'eby the upper members of the steps may be moved upwardly into alinement with the floor of the" vestibule when the door at oneside of said vestibule is closed and the set of steps thereat is not in use.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully desc ribed, and pointed out in the claims. I I v Figure I is a viewin elevation showingmy improved steps. Fig. II is a vertical sectional'view taken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is an enlarged perspective view of one of the hinge members applied-to the ends of the upper folding riser. Fig. V is an enlarged perspective'view of one of the hinge members applied to the ends of the upper folding step. Fig. VI is a view in rearelevation looking at the steps at the location of the locking appliance. Fig. VII is a perspective view of aform of implement used for manipulating the step-locking appliance.

1 designates the side walls of acar to which my steps are shown applied, and 2 is the vestibule-floor, supported by sills such as shown at 3, Fig. II.

1 designates benches suspended from the lower body, and 5 and 6 are respectively the lower steps and risers stationarily held to the touches.

7 designates a pair of hinges, one leaf of each of which is secured to the sill 3, while the other leaf of each hinge is secured to a folding riser 8, that is upheld by said hinges immediately beneath the edge of the vestibule-floor 2 and adapted to be swung upr-ardly into line with said floor.

9 designates a foldable step swingingly connected to the folding riser 8, adapted to rest on the uppermost stationary riser 6 and also capable of being moved upwardly into line with the vestibule floor 2. joined to the folding riser 8 members 10, secured to the The step 9 is by a pair of hinge ends of said step 9, and pivotally connected to hinge members l 11, that are secured to the ends of the risers 8. In each hinge memberll is an aperture 12. (See Fig. IV.)

Seated in the benches 4: are sockets 13.

14 and 16 designate a pair of throw-bars that are provided, respectively, with reduced outer'ends and 17, slidably positioned in the apertures 12 of the hinge member-s11 and adapted to enter the sockets 13in the benches at when the throw-bars are moved outwardly atthe time that the steps are in the lowered position seen in, Figs. I, II, and VI. The inner ends of the throw-bars 14 and 16 are connected by a rocking link .18, pivoted (at its ends to'said throw-bars and mounted upon a central pivot 10, carried by a pivot-plate 20, that is secured to the folding riser 8. The folding riser 8 contains an opening located beside the pivot-plate 20. Seated in the opening in said riser isa frame recess 22 and'a slot 2a designates an ear-connected to the throwbar 16 by bolts 25 or other suitable means of a? tachment.

26 designates a handle, preferably of U shape, having its arms connected to the ear 2* by apivot-pin 27-. The handle 26 is designed to lie in the recess 22 of the frame 21 when the throw-bars le'and 16 are projected outwardly, and while in such position the handle prevents longitudinal movement of the throw-bars, and therefore provides for the retention of the ends 15 and 17 of said bars in the sockets 13 and obviates liability of the bars being disconnected from the benches i when they have been thrown into engagement therewith by being carried into said sockets.

\Vhen it is desired to close the door of the vestibule at either side of the car, the handle 26 is moved out of the recess in the frame 21 and moved longitudinally in the slot 23, contained by said frame, thereby carrying the throw-bar 16 inwardly and releasing its 21, containing a outer end from engagement in the socket 13, in which it was'seated. On the inward move- -ment of the throw-bar 16 the rocking link 18 is moved on its pivot, and the throw-bar 14 is drawn inwardly simultaneously with the throw-bar 16, so as to free it from the socket with which it was engaged. The folding riser 8 and foldable step 9 may then be elevated into line with the vestibule-floor 2, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. II, when the legs 10 and 11? of the hinge members 10 and 11 will abut against each other, the legs 11 serving as braces for the legs 10 to support the step 9. The riser 8 is sustained in elevated position by moving the throw-bars 14 and 16 outwardly into engagement with sockets 28, mounted on the iuner'faces of'the benches'4, as seen in Fig. II.

In order toprovide for the convenient manipulation of the handle 26, I make use of the implement shown in Fig. VII, which consists of lever having a handle 29 and a shank 30, provided with a pivoted stud 31. In the use of this implement the end of the shank is placed between the arms of the handle 26, and being slipped back of said handle the handle is pried'outwardly to move it into horizontal position in alinement with the slot. 23 in the frame 21. The pivot-stud 31 of the implement is then placed in the socket-plate32, mounted on the riser 8,, (see Fig. I,) and upon the implement being rocked on-its pivot the handle is carried longitudinally in the slot 23, and the throw-bars 14 and 16 disengage from the sockets 13. Then upon the lever 29 of the implement being depressed theimplement is carried to the floor 20f the vestibule, and the riser 8 and step 9 arev raised into line with the vestibule-floor. The implement is then swung laterally and the throw-bars are moved into engagement with the sockets 28, so that they will supportthe elevated riser and step.

I claim as myinvntion- 1. The combination with a'fioor of a car, of a riser swingingly supported beneath said floor, and astep hinged to said riser, said riser and step being adapted to be moved upwards into alinement with said floor, substantially as described.

2, Thecombination with a floor of a car, of 50 a riser swingingly' supported. beneath said floor, a step hinged to said riser and means for retaining said riser and step in lowered position, or in a horizontal position 'in line with said floor, substantially as described.

3. In a folding car-step, the combination of a riser hinged to,a floor of ,a car, a step hinged to said riser, and a pair of throw-bars carried by said riser, said throw-bars being arranged for engagement with a fixed member carried by the car, whereby said riser and step may be maintained in a lowered position, or in a posit on in alinement with said floor, substantially as described.

4. In a structure of ,the class described, the combination with a car body and floor, of a pair of benches, one or more stationary steps mounted on. said ,benches, a folding riser swingingly .su'pported beneath said 'fioor, a foldable step hinged to said riser, a pair of throw-bars carried by said riser, and sockets seated in said benches adapted to receive said throw-bars when said riser and foldable step are in lowered position or in alinement with said door, substantially as described.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination with a car body and-floor, of a pair of benches, one or more steps-stationarily supported by said benches, a riser hinged to said door, a foldable step hinged to said riser, a pair of throw-bars carried by said riser and adapted for engagementin sockets seated-fin said benches, a slotted frame mounted in said riser, an ear carried by one of said throw-bars and arranged to operate in said frame and a handle connected to said ear whereby said throw-bars may be moved longitudinally, sub-' stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

MORITZ WEBER.

In presence of- GEO. KOBRESCH, H. F. VoeEL. 

